25 July 2005

Iraqi trainers graduate from NATO course News 27/07/2005 - NATO Trainers and Teachers in Upcoming Iraqi Joint Staff College Graduate from Train the Trainers Course Background NATOs assistance to Iraq The first 24 graduates of an intensive NATO ‘train the trainers’ course in Baghdad will soon be teaching at the Joint Staff College of the Iraqi Armed Forces. A graduation ceremony held on 25 July at NATO’s training facilities in the ‘Green Zone’ of Baghdad marked the end of 15 weeks of hard work under the tutelage of NATO trainers. Intensive preparation The Iraqi officers completed over 300 hours of lectures and 120 hours of exercises. The course has been specifically tailored to Iraqi requirements, and the students carefully selected from a large group of applicants. In September, the 24 officers will go on to teach Junior and Senior courses at the new Joint Staff College of the Iraqi Armed Forces, helping to train senior-level t personnel for the Iraqi security forces. The College, which will be located in Ar Rustamiyah, on the outskirts of Baghdad, is due to open in September. The course is part of NATO’s assistance to Iraq, which aims to help Iraq provide for its own security by training Iraqi personnel and supporting the development of the country’s security institutions.